CARE Center - Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center

Yes. Providing respectful, inclusive LGBTQ+ care is important to us. Our CARE Center is funded through generous donations from individuals, community partners, grants and government support. This funding helps us offer services to anyone who needs them—regardless of their ability to pay.

The CARE Center at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center offers comprehensive health care and support services designed to meet the unique needs of our LGBTQ+ community, including:

• AIDS drug assistance (ADAP)

• Behavioral health counseling and support groups

• Benefits counseling and housing assistance

• Case managers in the comfort of your home

• Dental care

• Food and nutrition services

• Hepatitis C screening and treatment

• HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing

• Medical care coordination

• Specialty HIV medical care

For more information about CARE program services or to make an appointment, call (562) 624-4999.

The CARE Center is a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Center of Excellence (recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors). This means we meet rigorous standards and deliver top-quality PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) care. 

PrEP is a once-daily pill or a long-acting injection that can prevent you from contracting HIV. PEP can prevent HIV infection if you have had recent exposure to HIV and are not currently on PrEP. PEP must be taken within three days of HIV exposure.

For more information about CARE program services or to make an appointment, call (562) 624-4999.

Yes. The CARE Center offers sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, treatment and prevention options for:

• Chlamydia

• Gonorrhea

• Hepatitis

• HIV

• Syphilis

For more information about CARE program services or to make an appointment, call (562) 624-4999.

The CARE Center at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center offers comprehensive dental care for people living with HIV, including:

• Bridges

• Dental crowns

• Dentures, full and partial

• Hygiene services

• White dental fillings

We have a multilingual staff, including two full-time dentists and one dental hygienist.

For more information about CARE dental services or to make an appointment, call (562) 624-4949.

The CARE Center food pantry helps patients who need help getting enough healthy food. It’s open from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the following dates in 2026:

• January 9 and 23

• February 6 and 20

• March 6 and 20

• April 3 and 17

• May 1, 15 and 29

• June 12 and 26

• July 10 and 24

• August 7 and 21

• September 4 and 18

• October 2, 16 and 30

• November 6 and 20

• December 4 and 18

Our registered dietitian can help you with the enrollment process for food pantry services. For more information about CARE program services or to make an appointment, call (562) 624-4999.

Our Caring Connections program at the CARE Center provides comprehensive behavioral health services to HIV-positive patients who are facing challenges with substance use, medication adherence, trauma, anxiety or depression. We offer counseling services for you and your loved ones to help support your overall health and well-being.

We can also connect you with groups to help support your emotional health, including:

• Inner Engineering: This therapeutic recovery group focuses on coping skills, knowledge and healthy living. Meetings are held the first Friday of each month at 2:30 p.m. Call (562) 624-4929 for more information.
  
  
• Seeking Safety: These group sessions help you cope with trauma, depression, anxiety or substance use. Weekly meetings in English and Spanish. Call (562) 624-4999 for more information.
  
  
• El Poyo Positivo: CARE’s spanish-language peer social support and educational group. Meets Mondays at 6pm. Call (562) 624-4909 for more information.

To learn more about our CARE mental health services and support groups, call (562) 624-4972.

Yes, the CARE Center welcomes volunteers. To volunteer for general office assistance or food pantry services, you need to attend orientation and training with St. Mary Medical Center’s volunteer program. To learn more about general volunteering, call (562) 491-9766. 

To volunteer for CARE special events, you don’t need to attend orientation or get special training. Our special events include an annual Client Holiday Party, Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade Team, Client Picnic and fundraising events. To learn more about volunteering for special events, call (562) 624-4999.

CARE is a nonprofit 501(c)3 through St. Mary Medical Center’s Foundation, and all charitable donations are tax deductible. To support CARE Center programs and services, you can:

• Donate online. 

• Call (562) 491-9225 to make a donation. Be sure to say that you want to donate to the CARE program.

• Mail a check payable to “CARE Center” to: 

            CARE Center 

            Attn: Program Director

            1040 Elm Ave, Suite 200

            Long Beach, CA 90813

Yes. We will provide care regardless of your ability to pay or whether you have insurance. Your health and well-being are important to us, and financial assistance options may also be available.